Border Songs - Readings

Description

Six-foot-eight and severely dyslexic, Brandon Vanderkool has always had an unusual perspective. He knows the mating calls of all the local owls, and can feel a flock of swans taking off before the sound reaches him. But he finds human feelings harder to read - especially lately. His father has got him a job with the Border Patrol, a reluctant and miscellaneous outfit that polices the often invisible frontier between the United States and Canada. What used to be a sleepy hinterland of farms, with foreign neighbours saluting each other ironically over a shallow ditch, suddenly appears to have become the frontline of an escalating war on drugs and terror. As CCTV cameras sprout up all over the forest, previously law-abiding farmers find themselves increasingly tempted to turn a blind eye. And Brandon, on his excursions to spot red-tailed hawks and solo tree swallows, seems to be accidentally stumbling upon every illegal immigrant and bud trafficker in the area. Closer to home, Brandon's father is dealing with diseased dairy cows, his mother battles encroaching dementia, and their Canadian neighbour's daughter Madeline turns her gardening skills toward the cannabis underworld. And overseeing everything is a mysterious masseuse who seems to know everybody's secrets. Filled with eccentric characters and unique histories, Border Songs is that rare delight- a gently satirical portrait, an extraordinary love story and a celebration of the coincidental and the miraculous.

About the Author

Jim Lynch is the author of the novels The Highest Tide, Border Songs and Truth Like the Sun, all of which were performed on stage and won prizes, including an Indies Choice Honor Book Award, a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and a Dashiell Hammett Prize finalist. His next novel, Before the Wind, will be released in April 2016. As a newspaper reporter, Lynch has won national awards, including the Livingston Young Journalist Award. He lives in Olympia, Washington, with his wife and daughter.Lynch's book tour with his next novel, "Before the Wind," will begin in mid-April 2016 and will feature visits to east and west coast bookstores and venues. Dates and locations will be available soon.